PRESQUE ISLE – The Class of 2003 at Northern Maine Technical College was a cornucopia of individuals.

Young people in their 20s – only a few years out of high school – were joined by older people who have spent years in the work force or raising families before deciding to go back to school.

Wearing long black gowns and red-and-white tasseled mortarboards, the youthful graduates with fresh faces were nearly indistinguishable from their older peers.

On Saturday, nearly 200 students became the last class to graduate under the NMTC name. After July 1, the school will become Northern Maine Community College.

The class included 14 employees from Louisiana-Pacific Corp. in Linneus who, over the past 31/2 years, took a total of 11 classes on-site at the mill to earn certificates in the college’s electrical construction and maintenance program.

A nontraditional student was chosen by her classmates as the student speaker.

A business administration major, Taunja Jandreau said it took her nine years to decide to go back to school.

“Like many others, it took me a long time to decide that I needed to have a college education in order to succeed in the business world,” said Jandreau, who works in public relations.

“I have gained a tremendous amount of knowledge and self-confidence I never knew I had,” she said. “I put my heart and soul into everything I did, and it has paid off.”

College President Tim Crowley made note of the impending name change to the graduates, family and friends who gathered for the 40th commencement in the school’s gymnasium. He said the change was a reflection of the Maine Technical College System’s desire “to enhance access to this institution.”

Kris Doody-Chabre, chief executive officer for Cary Medical Center in Caribou, was the commencement speaker.

In her address, Doody-Chabre said many of the graduates were “my future professional colleagues.”

“Before me are nurses, information systems professionals, executive assistants, early childhood educators, EMTs, accountants and such trades as residential construction, electrical construction and maintenance, drafting and plumbing and heating,” she said.

She urged the graduates to remember the word “success” as they join the work force or further their education.

“Success means being part of progress, success means building and maintaining relationships, success means being happy, success means taking risks, and success means overcoming adversity,” Doody-Chabre said.

Also honored Saturday was Betty Kent-Conant, chairman of the college’s nursing and allied health department, who was awarded the President’s Award for meritorious service to the college.